Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-12-23

vlous February. After his arrival from
New York with his regiment he was
more than once at the White House.
and looking down the Potomac to
Alexandria from its windows, he had
seen what the President daily saw
the Confederate flag flying from the
roof Of the Marshall House. That a
glass had to be used to make il out did
not much diminish the aggravation.
The President was more than ANNOYED
by the exhibition; he was quietly but
thoroughly angry. Colonel Ellsworth
was one of those who had heard him
say that it was most insolent beard
ing OF the power Of the United States
to display the flag of rebellion within
sight OF the residence of the executive
and the seat of government.
It was determined to occupy Alexan-
dria with military force. As soon as
Colonel Ellsworth heard of it, he went
to General Mansfield and begged that
his regiment might be of the detsch-
ment. The request was granted. Half
the expedition crossed the Long Bridge
and marched down; the others went
by steamer. At daylight Ellsworth
and his zouaves were at the
Alexandria wharf While the reg
iment was disembarking and
forming line, the Colonel dispatched a
party to take possession of the tele-
graph-olfice, and another to tear up the
railroad track toward Richmond. Ellis
worth himself accompanied the first
nsmed party. On the way, the flag on
the Marshall House caught his eye.
He rushed into the house, and met the
proprietor, half-dressed. "Who raised
that fiag?" the Colonel demanded. 81
don't know" said Jackson, "I'm only a
boarder here" Followed by two or
three of his men, Ellsworth ran up
stairs to the roof, and in a very few
moments was coming down again, bear
ing the obnoxious flag. He was within
two or three steps of the landing, close
ly followed by his men, when Jackson
stepped out from a room, and standing
not more than ten feet from his un-
suspecting victim, fred q bullet
through his breast. Ellsworth fell,
and died almost instantly. Jackson
fired another barrel at Brownell, but
the charge went over his head. The
latter discharged his rifle right into
Jackson's face, making a most horrible
wound, which would have been fatal,
but the soldier quickly followed up the
shot with thrust of his saber-bayonet
through the body, which tumbled
Jackson halfway down the second
stairway. All this, of course, oc-
Cured 80 quickly that the kill
ing was all done before anybody
outside knew what had happened. In
fact, the dreadful news was kept from
the soldiers for some time, for fear that
they might in their rage wreak sum-
mary vengeance upon the town.
Colonel Ellsworth was at the tine of
his death but twenty-four years old. A
most touching letter was received from
him by his parents after the telegraph
had brought them the sad news of his
death. It was written in his tent the
night before the expedition left Wash
ington, and spoke in a strange spirit of
foreboding of some injury that was
likely to happen to him the next day in
Alexandria.
remember we'll, as thousands will
remember, the visit of the Chicago
Zouaves to the principal cities of the
East in the summer OF 1859. An ex-
traordinary Juror was everywhere Gre
ated by their appearance. their march
ing, their evolutions. The press was
loud in their praise. 1t was simply a
matter of establishment that there could
be in the United States so thoroughly
drilled q body of citizen soldiers as this.
They had an ovation all through the
East. I saw them at Niagara Falls,